Mission's Monday - Big Announcement

Below is a snippet from the His Voice news letter that is sent out through email. It's announcing our VERY exciting news which is...

Heath is now going to be working with His Voice. Vernon, the founder of the ministry, asked Heath several weeks ago if he would like to come on board as Director of Ministry Development.

Last year, when we went to Sudan with His Voice, the moment we got home Heath said he knows that we are supposed to do more with this ministry. And it has been so neat to watch all year how God put that desire in Heath's heart and how He has worked out all out to bring us to this point.

We are so excited about this new chapter in our lives! We are so thankful that God has opened this door for Heath. We love this ministry and now, to be able to work with them, is like a dream.

So be prepared to hear lots more.

June 2009

Great Additions in the
Life of His Voice

Hey Everyone,

I am excited to let you know we have hired two new employees for His Voice. We believe this will give us great opportunity to expand and deepen our reach in proclaiming the Gospel to all nations.

Justin Kitchens is not only one of the smartest guys I know, he also loves the Lord more than most people I have ever known. Justin will be the Executive Financial Director. He will be responsible for overseeing the books and also helping us to build out a more extensive business plan in order for future growth. He is going to be pursuing his MBA in accounting also.

Heath Hartsfield is a great friend and also an incredible business mind. He will be coming on in the capacity of Director of Ministry Development. Heath will be responsible for helping us to create innovative ways for people to partner with His Voice and also for more people to hear about what we are doing.

I have specifically kept these introductions very brief because they will each be writing more about themselves in the next eLetter. My main purpose was to quickly introduce them to you so that you can start to pray for us as a ministry team. I have personally been overwhelmed by the graciousness of God to bring both of these guys in my life. He is the provider of all things good and gives us what we need at the most precise time. Thanks Papa!

Playdate with Laney

Monday...Kristin, Laney, Sam & Miles came over for a play date that ended up being most of the day. It was so great!! Sam & Miles needed a nap and since they so easily fell asleep on a pallet in Ella's room, that meant we got to spend an extra couple of hours with Laney & Kristin!

Ella and Laney spent most of the day outside in Ella's pools. Once they were over that, I grilled us some hot dogs and the girls wanted to play inside the rest of the time.

They always play so well together and are such sweet friends.

Kristin and I couldn't believe that we didn't get any pictures of them playing together in the pool.

Ella using the hand pump to blow up the pool. She actually was doing a really good job. I was so surprised that she was actually able to push it down and not just once.




Laney in the pool by herself. Ella had already abandoned the pools at this point.




Sam & Miles playing so sweetly with some of Ella's toys. They just recently started sitting up and are SO adorable!


Ella attacking Laney with the blower thing. Not really, it just looks that way. But Laney was cracking us up with how she would cover her ears because she was afraid the whistle would hurt them. And with her hands still on her ears, she would still blow hers.


They are just so stinkin' cute.


Thanks for coming over y'all! We had such a good day!

Granddad's 80th Birthday!

This past weekend we spent Friday and Saturday with family celebrating my precious Granddad's 80th birthday!

We started Friday night playing a little trick on him. We spent the evening eating dinner at my parents house and it was just me, Ella, my parents and my Grandma's brother and sister-in-law (who drove in to surprise them). Basically we let him think that this was his big party and none of the other family could make it.


So we had dinner and my dad got a cake and we did all the traditional birthday things with just the few of us. We had a great time!


And Ella and Granddad got to spend lots of quality time together.


In fact, when my parents apologized to my Granddad and told him none of the other family was able to make it, he said, "I get to see Ella though, right?" So sweet! It brought tears to all of our eyes.




But what my Granddad didn't know was that our entire family came in town on Saturday. We all met up at my parent's house for a while.


Then we headed to The Keg and decorated for the big surprise party with all of us there.


It was so fun to surprise my Grandparents, even though my granddad was very suspicious that something was going on. He said it's because, "he knows his family and his family is to kind to not be able to make it for his birthday." I'm so blessed to be in a family like that!!






Ella and her sweet cousins!


Me and my sister!


Granddad and I!


My Parents!!! Aren't they cute?


My Grandma and Granddad Angel!! The most amazing example of a Godly relationship. I am so thankful for them!



Heath and Granddad!


After we all ate at the Keg, we headed back to my parent's house for cake and time to just hang out!




Ella always has so much fun with her cousins!















Happy Birthday Granddad!! Thank you for being the ultimate example for our family on how to live a life FULLY (for 80 years) for Christ and for giving everything and everyday of you to Him. We love you so much!! And we are so thankful for the example you are to us.

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Ella's 1st Sleepover

Last Tuesday, Peter called me in the office and asked if I could book it over to the doctor's office where Melissa had Gabe & Joshua. He said that they might have to take Gabe to the hospital because he was really congested and having problems breathing and asked if I could go pick up Josh from Melissa. Peter was out of town at a meeting and trying to get back as quickly as possible.

Of course, I jumped in my car and took off. I'm so glad I left ASAP, as Peter requested, because when I walked into the doctor's office, the paramedics where already there evaluating Gabe and within 5 minutes of me being there they had Melissa and Gabe on a gurney headed to the ambulance that transferred them to one of our local children's hospitals.

Gabe ended up having to stay at the hospital for 2 nights, but was completely fine, thankfully!! It is such a relief!

Because of this, Joshua got to spend Tuesday night with us. It was so fun. It was Ella's very 1st sleepover at our house. I had been wondering lately at what age are they old enough to start having sleepovers and I guess it is now.

We had such a good time!

We had some dinner and then I let them play in Ella's pool for 1 1/2 hours.


Since this wasn't a planned sleepover, I had ZERO clothes for a boy. Except for a pair of boy underwear that Ella had to borrow one Sunday morning from our church nursery months ago when she had an accident in Sunday School. So that's what Joshua had to wear as his swimsuit.








After they swam, we got cleaned up and then they watched a movie to calm down before bedtime.


I made a pallet for Joshua in Ella's room. I was totally prepared to at some point move Joshua's pallet into our living room and I would sleep on our couch because I figured they wouldn't be able to stop playing to actually fall asleep. Isn't that what you do at slumber parties? That's what I did. But I was completely surprised that after I tucked them in bed, I went back to check on them literally ONE minute later and Josh was already out. And he slept until 7:30 the next morning.

This picture is when he woke up and Ella was still sleeping.

That morning I got Josh ready and he came to work with me and then another one of our friends picked him up for the day.

Heath told me later that when Ella woke up and saw that Joshua wasn't there on his pallet, she was devastated! I felt SO bad. He said she kept saying, "Where's Joshua?" Isn't that sad? Lesson learned, next time wake her up to say goodbye to her friend.

MIssion's Monday - Honduras Part 3

The Nursing Home

For the past 2 years, we have added a stop in the agenda to a local nursing home. This has been especially full of blessings because they are just precious. And it's amazing what one can learn from someone who has lived several more decades than you. Who would have thought?

I really loved how Julie captured this day and these people.


We had so much fun with them. Our children's ministry at First Irving made them cards for us to hand out with a personal note. They also let us sing some songs and visit with them. Last year, we took supplies along so we could give them manicures and do their hair.











We had a great visit with them and I'm so glad we do this now. I hope they are blessed by our visit as well.